REWIND the clock to around this time in 2024. Then, suggest that Rolando ‘Rolly’ Romero would be riding high off the back of a win over Ryan Garcia, discussing himself as a current face of boxing. The very idea would seem inconceivable.
Almost a week after his shock outboxing of ‘King Ry’, as the fight favourite sat on the cusp of a money-spinning Devin Haney rematch, Romero was busy holding a media roundtable in Los Angeles discussing his newfound success.
“I have two losses and they both came from big fights. Those losses haven’t derailed me from anything. They can’t slow me down. Every time you think I’m gone, I’m gonna come back again and again. These other guys are fighting for the money, but I fight for belts and for legacy,” he told reporters.
Written off in some quarters after suffering his second career defeat when stopped in eight rounds by Isaac Cruz, a confidence-building win over Manuel Jaimes pulled Rolly back on the winning track.
Having previously lost to Gervonta Davis (no shame in that) and being beaten in the eyes of many by Jackson Marinez, beating Jaimes was not considered a foregone conclusion. The 10-round outboxing was a surprising one-sided result that set the tone for Rolly’s patient dismantling of Ryan Garcia in Times Square.
“If Ryan wants to do a rematch we can do it. I don’t know if he’s mentally ready for a rematch and I know he has other obligations. I don’t know if people are too interested in seeing that other rematch, but if you have obligations, you should honor your obligations.
“I know Ryan too well. I knew exactly how he was gonna come and where he was gonna come. I think even he was surprised with how well I knew him.
“I neutralised his left hook. The second he threw one left hook, what happened? He got dropped and he never threw it again. The only reason he didn’t get knocked out is because he was fighting to survive.”
Dropping Garcia in round two sowed the seeds of doubt for the Victorville native, returning for the first time since his chaotic win over Haney last April, which was later changed to a no-contest.
Romero proceeded to land his jab, to head and body, keeping the left hook in reserve should Garcia step out of line. Shutting down Garcia’s offensive capabilities, making him reluctant to throw, enabled Romero to control the fight and win the CompuBox stats battle. That would turn into a key, unwanted talking point throughout an evening (in fact, weekend) of dire displays across continents.
“When I was fighting at 135, I really should have been at 140, and then when I was at 140, I really should have been at 147,” added Romero, who has now remarkably picked up titles at 135, 140 and 147 pounds.
“I was calling out Errol Spence Jr. and wanted to skip 140. I should have been at 147 for a very long time. I think it’s apparent. I mean how do I move up in weight and get a lot faster and more explosive. You usually get slower when you move up in weight.
“You didn’t really see me have to box early on in my career, because I was flatlining people in the first few rounds. The jab to the body is the money punch to me. That punch will break down anyone little by little. I’ve dropped people with it.”
Focusing on his boxing skills, rather than the brute strength, wrestling experience and borderline dirty tactics that he showed earlier in his career, a more mature Romero is now in the mix, strapped with a WBA welterweight title around his waist.
There’s also no room for talk that he fought a diminished version of Garcia. Rolly insists it was his own moves that dictated the surprising narrative of the fight.
“Ryan gave me his best. That was a focused Ryan Garcia. He didn’t do any of the stuff that he had done for his last night. Is anyone saying he wasn’t focused in camp? That’s because Ryan takes me seriously. He knows me.”
Could the one-time “clown prince” of pugilism now be a verified face of the sport?
“Anything regarding me being the face of boxing I agree with!”
